News

Saturday News, September 1

President Obama To Visit Sioux City Today

(Sioux City) -- President Barack Obama will be making a campaign stop at Sioux City this evening. Obama is scheduled to visit Morningside College and deliver a speech at 6:30 p.m. The president will appear at the Hilker Campus Mall which is in the center of Morningside College Campus. Tickets to the event were distributed Friday morning. Officials say all the tickets are gone. Our sister station, KSCJ 1360 will be streaming the audio via their website at www.kscj.com.

Linn Grove Man Convicted Of Felony Gun Possession

(Sioux City) -- A Linn Grove man, who twice was convicted of felony crimes, has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm, which is a federal crime. 57 year old Terry Wirkus was convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a one year term. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Wirkus' residence after a report from an individual indicating Wirkus had sent threatening phone calls and texts messages. The caller also revealed that Wirkus was in possession of a .22 caliber rifle. On July 1 of 2011, a search warrant was executed at Wirkus' home, and law enforcement officials discovered a repeating rifle hanging on the wall, along with some ammunition.

Algae Found In Iowa Lakes

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is warning that warm weather and high water temperatures could lead to blue-green algae in Iowa lakes. The DNR says the algae grows quickly in warm, shallow and undisturbed water, which has become increasingly common during the hot, dry summer. Although it's called blue-green algae, water where the algae exist can appear pea-green or reddish-brown. People exposed to the water can develop irritated skin and rashes. It can be more dangerous if the water is swallowed, including the possibility of headaches, nausea, liver injuries andrespiratory problems. The DNR recommends that people not swim or boat in areas where the water is discolored and to keep their pets out of such water. People should rinse off if they come in contact with such water.

Grassley Investigates Bank Employee Firing

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley is looking into the firing of an Iowa worker by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage over a minor crime in 1963 in the wake of new employment guidelines. The Iowa Republican says he's inquiring into the enforcement of federal regulations that are meant to protect consumers from financial fraud not to "target employees who might have committedpetty crimes that are decades-old." Grassley's staff has also contacted Wells Fargo for information on how the bank is implementing the rules. Sixty-eight-year-old Richard Eggers was fired in July for putting a cardboard cutout of a dime in a washing machine at a Laundromat in Carlisle. He was convicted of operating a coin-changing machine by false means.

Woman Pleads Guilty Of Stealing Lottery Tickets

KANAWHA, Iowa (AP) - A northern Iowa woman has pleaded guilty to stealing lottery tickets. The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports Kimberly Bates of Kanawha (keh-NAH'-wuh) pleaded guilty to second-degree theft in Hancock County District Court this week. Prosecutors say anadditional charge of lottery forgery or fraud will be dismissed. Sentencing is October 23rd. Bates and Tammy Kraft, also of Kanawha, were charged with stealing lottery tickets from a local convenience store, where they worked. Kraft's trial is pending.

Farm Bureau Delegates Discuss Drought

(Des Moines) -- The summer drought was the topic of conversation with delegates attending the Iowa Farm Bureau's summer policy conference that wrapped up on Friday. Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Hill says what a difference a year can make. He says last year the delegates were focused on the flooding of the Missouri River in western Iowa, and this year the drought took center stage. Iowa Farm Bureau Federation delegates gather each year to discuss and set policies that impact not only Iowa agriculture, but all Iowans. Mark Bohner serves as the district director for six counties located in northwest Iowa. He says stray voltage is a concern among livestock producers of northwest Iowa.

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The Farm Bureau official says stray voltage can affect any operation, but perhaps it is noticed more with dairy farms.

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Friday afternoon news, August 31

Labor Day Weekend Travel On The Rise

(Le Mars) -- Holiday weekend travel is expected to rise, despite the recent increase in gasoline prices, that according to a AAA official. Gail Weinholzer is the Director of Public Affairs for the Iowa and Minnesota motor club organization. She says despite the nearly ten cent per gallon increase in gasoline prices this last week, people are wanting to travel during the Labor Day weekend. Listen to

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Weinholzer says she is not surprised to see the increase in travel plans. She says people tend to want to see friends and family during extended holiday weekends, and they usually save up the money needed for their travel plans. The AAA official believes gasoline prices may decline after the long weekend. Listen to

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The AAA official advises people to use caution when traveling this weekend.

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Iowans are being reminded to buckle up, obey the speed limit and play it safe. Randy Hunefeld with the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau says the last holiday weekend of the summer can be a dangerous one on Iowa's roads because too many people are driving drunk.

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Hunefeld is coordinator of the bureau's special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP). The agency is conducting a sTEP wave that started August 23 and runs through next Wednesday. Hunefeld warns that the heightened enforcement effort means motorists will have a better chance of getting caught if they're breaking traffic laws.

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During Iowa's last sTEP project, over the July 4 holiday, law officers made contact with more than 15,600 motorists. That included 295 contacts with alcohol and drug-impaired drivers.........

Northwestern College Sees Increase In Student Enrollment

(Orange City) -- Northwestern College of Orange City is reporting an increase in enrollment for the fall semester. The enrollment total is 1,241 students, or an increase of 30 students, from last year. The tally is the college's second-highest enrollment in the last five years and the tenth highest overall. Northwestern also recorded a record number of 52 transfer students.

Kenton Pauls, the dean of enrollment management, says this year's enrollment includes more students of color than ever before. The student body consists of nine percent American ethnic minorities and another three percent are international students. Northwestern's incoming freshman class has a higher ACT test score of 24.3, well above the average score of 22.3 for other Iowa colleges or the national rate of 21.1. Northwestern's retention rate of freshmen returning for the sophomore year was 77.2 percent, with 91.7 percent of second-year students returning for their third year.

Fifty four percent of the Northwestern student body is from Iowa, 11 percent are from Minnesota, eight percent are from South Dakota, seven percent hail from California, and six percent refer to Nebraska as home.

Judge To Rule On Libertarian Presidential Candidate's Name On Ballot

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A district court judge says he plans to rule on Tuesday whether to block Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson's listing on the November ballot in Iowa. Attorneys for two voters filed documents Thursday in Des Moines asking Judge Arthur Gamble to review the decision of a panel of three state officials that allowed Johnson on the ballot. Secretary of State Matt Schultz, Attorney General Tom Miller and Warren Jenkins, the chief deputy for Auditor David Vaudt, voted Wednesday to allow Johnson on November's ballot. Libertarians say they held a convention at the Iowa State Fair to get Johnson onto Iowa's ballot. The challengers say Libertarians didn't hold a real convention. They say the panel of officials made an erroneous decision not supported by the evidence. Gamble heard arguments Friday morning.

Injured Iowa Sailor Returns Home From Afghanistan

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa sailor who lost parts of his arms and legs in a bombing in Afghanistan has told a hometown crowd that "you rock" as his sacrifices and recovery inspire others. Taylor Morris, a 23-year-old Navy bomb detection expert, returned to Iowa on Thursday for a weekend visit from Walter Reed Medical Center. Thousands of people lined the route from theWaterloo airport to his hometown of Cedar Falls. It's Morris' first trip home since his deployment and the bomb blast in May. Morris says in a statement that it feels "really awesome to know the entire community has our back." Longtime friend Ben Hagarty says people thought they had problems, then they think of Morris and "if he can do it, I can do it, too."